24 October 1886

Churruca, Madrid

Financial difficulties in the printing of the Noli – Bitter comments on a projected exposition in 1887 – Machiavellian spirit of domination and exploitation – France and Germany – Translation of William Tell, tales of Andersen, and Faust of Goethe – Ventura witnessed a deplorable incident at the Café Suizo in Manila

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4 principal, left, Churruca, Madrid

24 October 1886

My dear Friend,

I have before me your esteemed letter, dated 15th, which I received in due time together with the one you wrote to Leonor. I am really sorry that, on account of the excessive cost of printing your novel there, we are deprived of its immediate publication that we so much desire. You can rest assured that if its publication depended upon me, if I had the money that you lack at present for that purpose, I would be your Maecenas[1] with the greatest pleasure. But knowing as you do my usual financial condition, not being able to remedy the situation, I prefer to keep quiet now to continue my lamentations and protestations that solve nothing. Well! Are you informed of the proposed exhibition of Filipino wild people next spring to satisfy the curiosity of the clowns on this side of the Pyrenees? For a year now the clucking cackles, for a year the symptoms of pregnancy are announced that very soon will result in the phenomenal birth of the Philippine exhibition (here the epithet is exceedingly fitting), so loudly reported. So, you want dirty linen to be washed at home? That is only done by the clean ones, man. Well there, where it is not….You ask for nothing but the best of the country to be shown. Well, for what is the exhibition? For that, there is the country exhibited where God put it. Whoever wants to see it, let him go there. No my friend; The fact is that the Madre-Petra[2] knows by heart what the country is, and if it is true that the country has very good products and great needs, here there is no pretending ignorance and any minister of colonies has under study important projects of reforms that will come at the proper time. The fact is that she knows that she has very cunning children in regard to fried fish there in the neighborhood of Yap, and she is informed by the counselors and missionaries of the Archipelago that the deportment and ability of the converted inhabitants of that pearl are a marvel of grace when they lead their bancas[3] through their surging rivers, when they make in a jiffy a house of grass and bamboo; when they roll cigars by the special process of rice paste; when they cross a lake swimming without getting wet;, except their bodies; or when they lift up from the ground with their toes everything from a straw to a beam with a prehensile skill possessed only be certain animals. Tell me and if not, let God come and see it, that a loving mother who takes so much interest in her children, knowing this, wants to laugh at them or make fun of their accomplishments. For, do you really think that the interest of the Metropolis in Philippine culinary art, whose most classical and refined expression are pansit, poto, suman, bagon[4] and other specialties like these, can be less than in other principal things that pertain to the colony? Well, you ought to take into account that, besides many other weighty reasons, needless to mention in detail here, such as hygiene and civilization, that are so intimately related to art, the exhibition may unexpectedly favor these small industries. Should their products find acceptance here, advantageous markets will be opened to them. But how pessimistic you are! If you had the regulation or instructions for the exhibition, you would see that there is nothing more sane than the intention of its initiators and of the government in this case. Ask for those documents from Julio or Lete, who both have them, inasmuch as without their knowing it or their expecting it, they have been honored with the appointment of members of the publicity body. The exhibition has to give a blow, and why not, as a lake will be built and bancas and rowers will be brought over. And they will erect nipa huts there where Philippine dishes will be served. Young Filipino woman will embroider; men and women will make cigars with all the body and soul they might have. The regulation says that fifty persons of both sexes are coming. The suputs will open their mouths wide and in a chorus will ask that they dance even the moro moro.[5] The counselors will stroll about proudly; the ministers will take notes and will take up the subject in some council meeting; the journalists will invent witty sayings, stories, and anecdotes, without detriment of devoting to the subject some patronizing editorial; and the missionaries, finally, Fathers Dieces and Arsenios, after extending their hand to the exhibits, will address them with some paternal words, being practical connoisseurs of the country, they will acquaint everyone who cares to listen to them of the docility of that people, though apathetic and ignorant. They will ponder on the apostolic zeal of those who, despite great efforts, hardly succeed to dispel errors and prejudices from the minds of those unhappy people. There is a university there; there are schools, they taught, but in vain; their intelligence is very limited, they are lazy, though they possess admirable instinct to imitate; they are satisfied with a little fish and rice, so that agriculture, industry….well, if it were not for the Chinese….and if not, there is the tobacco; since the Hacienda does not compel them to plant it, hardly do they produce any: they love the whip, they are better off in comparison with the carabao. They have many defects and few virtues; they are knavish, crafty; they vex the Spaniard, knowing that by making his blood boil, he will finally blow up. They respect only the parish priest; without him the least they would do would be to take to the woods. Alas, dear Rizal, I cannot go on in this pitch without poisoning my own heart and I suffer and I torture myself madly….Who doubts that the Machiavellian spirit, inspired by egoistic purposes of domination and exploitation if not of hatred and death for that country, intervenes in or presides over the idea or the realization of the wretched exhibition. Could you believe any other thing? If some Castila[6] thinks and acts in good faith in this case, may God not ask the bold one for a reckoning. If some countryman advocates for this cause and expects something good from it, he is an innocent man; he belongs to the kingdom of God. But it is evident that there is no sensible person (Castilas included) who does not find the idea absurd such as it has been conceived and it is to be carried out. Thus, it will be said with more than enough reason: That people is a child; it is not yet prepared; the missionaries, protectors of the country and guardians of the Mother Country’s interests, still need to work a great deal in their civilizing mission; what the country needs is to favor the development of its riches, of its production, other reforms of a political or administrative character would be premature now; the Filipino only needs protection and to preserve those qualities of simplicity and docility that are the best guarantee of his welfare and happiness and of his advancement. From the events of the Caroline Islands[7] and in the face of the Philippine Exposition in Barcelona was born and became a reality the Madrid Exposition: a little good faith (I don’t deny it) and love of country (in the Spanish sense of the word) and a good dose of friar spirit will make that idea a reality which will be, it is clear, another farce, another affront of the mean exploiters of that people. Autonomy, if they would concede it, would be more of a bothersome poultice than a beneficial one: no other thing can be expected. Society is marching towards its dissolution: nothing can be done or it is not the road or means that ought to be adopted! The truth is that these attempts fail. It is painful to talk about this. R…., a dissolute man, is no longer secretary and neither is he an autonomist. Those who made him secretary cannot be held responsible, and rightly, because nobody protested against his election. Therefore, it does not seem wise for you to insist on taking up the matter with good and confident friend Julio.

I congratulate myself that my so-called plans are satisfactory to you, as I wish. You can command me. Villaruz appreciates your greetings and greets you affectionately. He is still ill. After the fever, he was attacked by acute rheumatism which was later complicated with a pericardial ailment. For some time he was critically ill. Fortunately, though still sick, he is fairly better than before. What a pity, indeed, that I cannot travel with you through those countries! You do perfectly well in going around and seeing everything. It is sad indeed that two great peoples – France and Germany – should regard each other with misgiving and treat each as enemies; but this inevitable; nations more than individuals are ruled by passion. My congratulations on the termination of the Tagalog translation of William Tell and my good wishes that you may finish with equal success the tales of Andersen and the Faust of Goethe.

With nothing more to tell you for the present, you know you can count on the affection of your friend and countryman,

Cauit

Ventura has returned to Manila where, for his first impression, he witnessed in the Café Suizo the moving scene in which a Spanish hero, a descendant of the Cids and Pelayos, dealt a boy, for a mistake he made in the bill, fisticuffs and kicks until the boy fainted and rolled on the floor. This can be related with historical sincerity, but without passion, it is impossible. I tell you this because you cultivate the novel.

The Same

04-175 [Misc.]